Oscar Owen is a talented performer and an expert in close-up magic. He has been dubbed one of the decade’s “most influential magicians” by The Mail Online. Owen loves to intrigue and enthrall audiences, from online viewers to celebrities at exclusive red-carpet events. Since he started his career in magic, Owen has built up a following of over a million magicians-in-training.
With a passion for magic and business, Owen is a rare example of someone who is accomplished in both fields. While he was building his magic enterprise, he celebrated his graduation from the University of Durham with First Class Honors. Despite his success, he works tirelessly towards his vision of imparting his impressive skills to aspiring magicians across the globe.
In this article, he shares insights from his magic career that may inspire entrepreneurs and leaders to expand their horizons and rethink their approach to business.
1. Know Your Audience
Audience engagement is a critical component of any magical act. A good magician always knows how to tailor their performance to suit the audience. Whether they are meeting with a client, a potential employer, or an employee, business leaders must learn to adapt their message and value proposition to meet the needs and expectations of their audience.
In 2016, Owen started a YouTube channel to reach aspiring magicians. He knew that his target audience of novice and intermediate magicians wanted to improve their magic skills and learn more tricks. Therefore, he created content where he introduced simple but amazing magic tricks and showed viewers how to replicate them at home.
Because magic is a highly-visual medium, Owen’s use of social media effectively captured the attention of his audience. His clear tutorials and approachable attitude attracted viewers who were genuinely interested in learning magic. Today, his YouTube channel has amassed over 800,000 subscribers and millions of viewers from around the world.
With the launch of TikTok, Owen saw another opportunity to reach a greater audience of young people. He created customized short-form video content for his TikTok channel, allowing magic-curious viewers to witness his mind-blowing tricks in 15 seconds or less. This strategy has brought more than 200,000 followers and billions of views to his TikTok account.
2. Be Creative
Creativity is the key to setting your business apart from the rest. We often see old concepts and tricks rehashed in the magic world. Yet, skilled magicians can make ancient tricks seem like whole new experiences by adding their unique characteristics. Similarly, a business that offers a common product can make itself uncommon through innovation.
Owen is a prime example of the power of creativity. How does he manage to captivate audiences with his performances every time? By taking tried and tested principles of magic and adding his edge and flair. Owen uses common household objects like cards, coins, pens, rubber bands, and cigarettes to create unusual visual tricks that are seemingly impossible.
Thinking outside the box, Owen also comes up with interesting ideas for his videos that grab the attention of viewers. For instance, on his YouTube channel, he reveals the secret to the tricks that fooled famous public figures. By connecting magic to celebrities and recognizable historical figures, Owen found a creative way to make magic more relevant and fascinating.
3. Keep Evolving
In the competitive modern landscape, businesses cannot stay stagnant. A business that sells the same products and services over the years will most likely find itself redundant and out of date. If you want to be successful, you need to leverage technology and improve the diversity of your products to match the evolving needs and requirements of the market.
Owen has done just this. In 2020, he released “Card Magic Pro”, a premium online magic program. The course was targeted at serious aspiring magicians who wanted professional magic education without the distraction and advertisements of free social media platforms. Card Magic Pro is now an exceedingly popular online course with over 10,000 subscribers.
Not content with just one notable enterprise, Owen authored “Mind-Blowing Magic Tricks for Everyone”, a bestselling magic manual that was released in 2021. The manual was designed for complete beginners and utilized everyday objects to create compelling magic tricks. Each trick in the book is accompanied by a QR code that takes users to a video demonstration.
You may think that two incredible projects are enough for any entrepreneur. However, Owen remains determined to reach an even wider audience. He recently launched LearnMagic.com, a dedicated website offering webinars and in-depth magic training for members. This business has allowed Owen to earn a passive income of 6 figures annually.
As a magician, Owen has elevated the craft and brought it to the 21st century through the use of technology. In an increasingly skeptical time, he has made magic more accessible and appealing to the masses. As an entrepreneur, Owen is an inspiration. His acute business sense has melded with his passion to create an empire that is simply magical.